Self-Defined Musicianhttps://selfdefinedmusician.com
Mindfulness for musicians.Tue, 21 May 2019 18:54:30 +0000en-US
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3232Why Piano Technique is a Waste of Timehttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/why-piano-technique-is-a-waste-of-time/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/why-piano-technique-is-a-waste-of-time/#respondMon, 20 May 2019 21:17:25 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2653At the end of the day, the music you are playing either sounds good, or doesn't sound good. Music sounds good because you are in the zone when you play. Your technique works naturally, and there is a flow to the whole thing. If none of that is present, the music will not sound good. It doesn't matter how […]

At the end of the day, the music you are playing either sounds good, or doesn't sound good.

Music sounds good because you are in the zone when you play. Your technique works naturally, and there is a flow to the whole thing.

If none of that is present, the music will not sound good. It doesn't matter how "correctly" you are playing.

Throughout my life, I've learned so many things from books. When I saw that people wrote books aboutpiano technique, I thought this was the solution to all my problems.

I figured all I needed to do was read those books, practice what they described, and then I'd be all set.

It didn't quite work out that way.

I soon realized that "knowing" a lot about piano technique was only a tiny piece of the picture. If this knowledge isn't integrated, it is next to useless.

And here's the thing: Book learning cannot help you integrate your piano technique. You need experiential learning.

For example, suppose you're practicing a technical exercise. You can't always be reevaluating whether it's the right exercise, or if you're doing it right. You have to just do it, and experience what that feels like.

This was a huge problem for me. I knew that I spent so much of my time overthinking and overanalyzing. At least, that's what I was told. By many, many people...

And yet, I couldn't stop. My mind just did what it wanted to do, no matter how hard I tried to keep it in line.

I wanted music to be easy. But, it wasn't.

What I didn't realize at the time was that I was making my life difficult. Rather than beating myself up about overthinking, it's possible to accept that thinking. Once that's done, I can just get on with life.

This requires a radical shift in how you approach music, though. Instead of trying to solve problems, you need to care about whatever is happening in the moment.

Want to Learn More About Being Mindful in Your Music Practice?

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/why-piano-technique-is-a-waste-of-time/feed/0Anyone Can Play the Piano With Confidencehttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/anyone-can-play-the-piano-with-confidence/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/anyone-can-play-the-piano-with-confidence/#respondMon, 13 May 2019 18:05:36 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2627Anyone can play the piano with confidence. I don't care how much skill or experience you have. It is a matter of how exactly you play, not how confident you "feel". Read more about confidence for musicians.

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/anyone-can-play-the-piano-with-confidence/feed/0Why You’re Not Enjoying Your Music Practicehttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/why-youre-not-enjoying-your-music-practice/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/why-youre-not-enjoying-your-music-practice/#respondTue, 07 May 2019 18:12:20 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2614I hear this kind of question a lot: "As a musician, while practicing, how do I both enjoy the process and also ensure that I'm making progress?" In this video, I give 4 reasons why you're not getting as much satisfaction as you should be from practicing.

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/why-youre-not-enjoying-your-music-practice/feed/0What is “Fun” Supposed to Mean?https://selfdefinedmusician.com/what-is-fun-supposed-to-mean/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/what-is-fun-supposed-to-mean/#respondFri, 03 May 2019 16:18:10 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2584“I’m just playing for fun…” What’s this “fun” thing all about? Can’t serious things be fun? It’s as if there’s some kind of inherent contradiction. Either it’s work, or it’s fun. I guess fun means anything that isn’t work… Is this a defense mechanism? Maybe you don’t want to really commit, because then it won’t be fun? After all, […]

Can’t serious things be fun? It’s as if there’s some kind of inherent contradiction. Either it’s work, or it’s fun. I guess fun means anything that isn’t work…

Is this a defense mechanism? Maybe you don’t want to really commit, because then it won’t be fun? After all, if you don’t commit, you’re not putting anything on the line. If you don’t play the game, you can’t possibly lose.

Piano needs to be more fun for kids, right? Otherwise, they will quit and do something that is actually fun… (I’m not exactly clear on where the tragedy is in this)

It’s more fun when you are playing well, right? It’s also more fun when you are making fast progress, and certainly less fun when you are struggling.

But, why can’t you struggle, and still be engaged in the struggle? Why do you always have to be making progress?

So, is this concept of fun useful, or not? Try experimenting with this. Notice what effect labeling something as fun has on how you go about doing it.

If you’re practicing the piano, focus on what you’re doing. Whether it’s fun or not. If you’d rather stop and do something else, then stop and do something else. Whether or not that other thing is fun.

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/what-is-fun-supposed-to-mean/feed/0Tension is a CHOICEhttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/tension-is-a-choice/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/tension-is-a-choice/#respondTue, 30 Apr 2019 12:00:52 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2551It’s not some random force that happens to you. The reason you get tense is because you are trying really hard to get it right. It’s not because of your posture, or because of your technique is wrong, or because you’re stressed out. It would be great if there were such a simple fix. It’s because you’re trying […]

The reason you get tense is because you are trying really hard to get it right.

It’s not because of your posture, or because of your technique is wrong, or because you’re stressed out. It would be great if there were such a simple fix.

It’s because you’re trying to do two things at once.

So, you have a choice: either let go of the need to get it right, or let go of the desire to play without tension.

This is not an easy choice. Of course, you want to get it right. And, you also don’t want tension.

This choice requires you to take a close look at what is really important to you. Not what is really important to your teacher. Your teacher does not live in your body and has not lived your life. So, there’s no way your teacher can understand exactly why you are messing yourself up.

If you don’t see how you are causing tension, you need to look closer.

(Check out my free course on how to pay closer attention to what happens while you practice.)

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/tension-is-a-choice/feed/0Stop slacking off! You need to make PROGRESS!https://selfdefinedmusician.com/stop-slacking-off-you-need-to-make-progress/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/stop-slacking-off-you-need-to-make-progress/#respondFri, 26 Apr 2019 12:00:20 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2520If you grew up in modern society, like I did, chances are you have these two competing voices inside you. While you are practicing, one of them says “Work hard! Stop slacking off! You need to make progress!” Meanwhile, the other says, “This is so stressful! This is not why I signed up for this…I […]

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/stop-slacking-off-you-need-to-make-progress/feed/0You CAN’T Teach What You’re GOOD Athttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/you-cant-teach-what-youre-good-at/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/you-cant-teach-what-youre-good-at/#respondThu, 25 Apr 2019 12:00:44 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2512“I can’t figure out how to get my student to keep a steady beat! It’s so easy, but I have no idea why they can’t do it. What am I doing wrong?” Music teachers ask this kind of question all the time. Before I tear it apart, let me empathize with it for a second. […]

“I can’t figure out how to get my student to keep a steady beat! It’s so easy, but I have no idea why they can’t do it. What am I doing wrong?”

Music teachers ask this kind of question all the time. Before I tear it apart, let me empathize with it for a second.

It’s frustrating when it’s so obvious that if they could fix this onelittle problem, they would play so much better. And yet, you can’t figure out how to get them to do that…

At the same time, teachers often have little interest in improving themselves. The focus is only what the student needs to change.

Yes, teaching is a different skill than learning.But, don’t let this be a distraction. If you’re a teacher, most of your focus should be on improving yourself.

Stop saying “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know how to do it myself. But, how do I teach it to students?”

If you know what the student should be doing, but you can’t make it happen, stop reading about “piano pedagogy.” Instead, read books about interpersonal communication. Read books written to help psychotherapists work with their clients.

Piano teachers don’t know anything about that stuff.

You can only teach what you know.

If you want to get better at teaching piano, get better at learning the piano.

This is not about achievement, status, social recognition, or anything like that. I’m not saying “get a degree in piano performance” or “win a competition.” This doesn’t mean you have to be a world-class pianist to teach piano. It doesn’t even mean you can’t teach a world-class pianist if you are not one yourself.

Achievement is worthless because you can only teach what you’re badat. Not what you’re good at.

Again, you can only teach what you know.

So instead of trying to teach what you don’t know, try this plan:

Figure out what you are not so great at.

Get better at it.

Pay close attention to howyouimproved. Write this down if necessary.

Find students who have the same problem you used to have, and help them follow the same steps you followed.

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/you-cant-teach-what-youre-good-at/feed/0Music is NOT Frustratinghttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/music-is-not-frustrating/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/music-is-not-frustrating/#respondWed, 24 Apr 2019 12:00:47 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2502There’s no such thing as a difficult piece. Come on. Where does this idea even come from? OK, I know this sounds crazy, so let me try to put it into a little bit more context. When you say “this is piece is so difficult!”, what are you trying to say? Do you mean “if […]

You will say that yes, of course it’s the piece that is frustrating you. After all, you get very frustrated when you try to play the piece. Right?

No.

This is nonsense. The task does not cause the feeling.

Imagine you are trying to climb a set of icy steps to get to the front door of someone’s house. Every time you get halfway up, you slip and fall all the way back down. Bloody and bruised, you pick yourself up and try again. And again…

After a while, you might draw the following conclusions:

Climbing these stairs is super-painful.

I’m in pain because you left ice on your steps.

I’m in pain because I kept trying to climb the stairs and didn’t know when to quit.

No.

You’re in pain because you kept falling on the ground.

So, back to “frustration”. My guess is that it’s caused by a pattern like this:

Start working on a task.

Get into a “groove.”

Notice that you’re not doing as well as you should be.

Change tactics to try to make it “better.”

Get into a new “groove.”

As this continues, all the “groove-switching” creates agitation (frustration) in your mind.

Notice this agitation, and make up a story about how “the task made me frustrated.”

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/music-is-not-frustrating/feed/0Enjoying Your Mistakeshttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/enjoying-your-mistakes/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/enjoying-your-mistakes/#respondSun, 21 Apr 2019 12:00:21 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2488You have to enjoy your mistakes. This is non-negotiable. If you are spending all your time trying to prevent mistakes, this whole thing is going to become a drag, and sooner or later, you will just quit. Or worse…you won’t. “But, how can I enjoy my mistakes!? I hate making mistakes!” You will enjoy your […]

]]>https://selfdefinedmusician.com/enjoying-your-mistakes/feed/0Big Picture vs. Detailshttps://selfdefinedmusician.com/big-picture-vs-details/
https://selfdefinedmusician.com/big-picture-vs-details/#respondSat, 20 Apr 2019 12:00:32 +0000https://selfdefinedmusician.com/?p=2485You can’t have it both ways. Either you are concerned about the big picture, or you are concerned about the little tiny details. Or, you could be focused somewhere in between. The point is, you can only focus on one thing at a time. Either you’re trying to play that note correctly, or you’re trying […]